Davis, Stuart (2005)

Abstract

This paper attacks Steriade's (2000) analysis of the Withgott Effect: i.e. of the contrast between míli[t]àry~mìli[t]?rístic and cápi[D]?l~càpi[D]?lístic in American English. Davis shows that the absence of flapping in mìli[t]?rístic is regular (cf
Mèdi[t]?rránean); it is the presence of flapping in càpi[D]?lístic that involves
misapplication. Crucially, however, Davis argues that this misapplication effect does
not involve flapping directly, but rather foot structure: the pretonic syllable of
càpi[D]?lístic is attached to the foot on the left in order to mirror the foot structure of
cápi[D]?l. Consequently, the Withgott Effect does not support the paradigmatic
transfer of fine phonetic detail, contra Steriade.